Emotiva's internet-only products have earned the company a place in the hearts of many cost and performance conscious shoppers, and its upcoming UMC-1 AV pre-pro looks to continue the trend. A long time in development, the $699 piece of gear -- a price that the company will hold beyond the initial run -- has finally entered production, garnered a web page of its own on the Emotiva website and should be making its way to enthusiasts who preordered soon. We'll let you hit the link for the full details on what's promised, but highlights include support for the lossless Blu-ray audio formats, Genesis Torino video scaling of all formats up to 1080p across the single HDMI output, 5 HDMI inputs, flexible bass management and an on-screen UI. Sounds good, but what really sets Emotiva apart is the rabid fan base that consistently compares their gear to other stuff way beyond the price point, so our hopes are high on this bit of gear. Separates at receiver prices sound good to us, so if you've got one of these in your system let us know what you think!
[Thanks, Aaron!]
posted Feb 15th 2009 10:22AM
I can't wait to have one of these in my home theater!
+1
I'm on the pre-order list!!!!
I wonder if this will decode DSD(SACD) direct to analog over HDMI, and not convert it to PCM before analog. Also, high resolution PCM, such as DVD-Audio and the new Blu-ray audio discs over HDMI would be nice.
Wow, assuming it sounds good, this looks like a great deal.
In addition to the questions posed already, one would wonder whether it has multiple subwoofer outputs? It doesn't look like it but it's hard to tell from the photo. This would be very handy, since multiple subs are all the rage these days (for good reason) but connecting them all to a single output means compromising on distance and EQ and level settings, since you have one setting for multiple subs in multiple locations.
I hope these guys hit it out of the park and don't just hit a price point, like some of the Outlaw pre-amps which were value priced but a little lackluster sounding.
Yeah, unless the RCA and balanced sub outs can both handle a signal independently, looks like this might be limited to a single sub out signal. Seems like a great "extra" feature for the higher spec, but still unseen XMC-1. Even without that, though, the UMC-1 looks like a winner.
Personally, I hope this pre-pro doesn't sound like anything. The more neutral the better. There are plenty of products to choose from that color sound. I don't own any of them. I am a huge fan of Emotiva and I wish the company all the best.
This pre/pro is very interesting, especially for the price point. With Onkyo and Marantz recently releasing "entry level" pre/pro (I have been thinking about the Marantz), this blows the doors off the that price point. Off hand, I am not exactly sure what the UMC-1 is missing as far as feature set compared to those other than the obvious XLR outputs.
I may actually use this for a stepping stone, especially since buying a new home I have been looking to hide all my cabling and having a pre/pro or receiver handle it, would just be easier. I still would like the Marantz, but at $2,500, it just isn't doable right now, the UMC-1 looks good enough to get me through a few years. I look forward to reading reviews.
I have heard of this company, but haven't really been in the market for a while. Theirs amps really have peeked my interested and they are at a great price level. I may have to look at auditioning one.
I have been researching this company and I am pretty sure that I will be going with them for my pre/pro and amp (MPS-2). I think I will skip the UMC-1 though, the XMC-1 from the limited details seems more up my alley (6 HDMI input and 2 HDMI output and balanced outputs).
I've never heard of this company, but am VERY interested to see the reviews of this processor. I need to upgrade from a rotel piece that I have, for the new lossless formats of Bluray, plus full hdmi connectivity and upconversion. I hope it is as good as it seems.
nathan - from what I've heard on the company's forums, the UMC-1 has two tub outs, one RCA and one balanced. I believe they can be used independently. Don't quote me on that, but that's the current understanding. If you want to know for sure, call the company - they're very helpful.
Thanks. Actually, I have the Onkyo 885 (ie, Integra 9.8) which I got when it came out and blew the doors off the market at its debut. Still a great unit, but if I was shopping tomorrow I'd give serious pause before buying the more expensive 9.9 (886).
I'd miss Audyssey. EQ is pretty useless, imo, but intelligent room correction like Audyssey, or the stuff in the new Anthem gear, can be useful. Hard to say whether the processing in the Emotiva is a standard parametric EQ correcting for a single location, or something more fancy (like those others) correcting for multiple seating locations and in the time as well as frequency domain.
But other than that, all the other cool features of the Onkyo/Integra's (Reon processing, HD Radio, etc) are bells and whistles that I tried and found no use for (the video processing in my other components was better than the Reon, for example, and I listen to streaming radio not that stuff from OTA).
And for this price? Like I say, if they avoid the errors of an Outlaw, which cast a dullness to the sound, and just get out of the way of the signal, and avoid that lackluster tone that price-point electronics can have, that will be a real deal.
Laymen time!
So I'd still have to get an amplifier in addition for actually outputting to my speakers?
Yes you would, but if you stuck with Emotiva, you could do it as cheap as $599 with their UPA-7. For $1,298, entry level price for "high end" receivers, you would get a separate system.
That's a lot more expensive than the Yamaha YHT-390BL A/V Receiver I'm currently using...
While a Home Theater in a Box has its place, it is in a completely different league when compared to a separate system. A separate system is for an hardcore audioholic and the next step in an upgrade from a receiver. I wouldn't say that I have a outstanding system, but anyone of my speakers are more expensive than that HTB. If you are not willing to spend the price of a HTB on just one component, gear like this is not for you.
I have always believed that you don't need to spend a fortune to get great sound, but all separate systems seem to not help prove that theory right. That is until recently, we are seeing more and more "affordable" components and companies like Emotiva and Outlaw Audio, who have lowered the price with out lowering the bar.
Outlaw Audio take note
@zargon
The most expensive components of an audio product typically are the power suppy and chassis. In a receiver you have one power suppy and one chassis. A compromise it may be, but it comes cheap. Separate preamp and amp requires two power supplies and two chassis'. Separates will always be significantly more expensive than one piece solutions.
The upside you probably already know is that you don't have to buy a new multichannel amp everytime some new processing or video switching comes along. Many people are using the latest pre/pro with their 10 year old multichannel amplifier.
Emotiva has a great reputation for being inexpensive, but not for sounding great. There is a reason why tons of Emotiva products are on the second hand market. For the cheap price, consumers have nothing to lose buying them, but they shouldn't expect Rotel, Anthem, NAD performance.
Can you turn off all the blue lighting?
Nicely sed Zargon, I completly agree!
There's a "DIM" switch right on the remote. The GUI looks amazing, and I've been waiting to replace my Denon AVR-988 ever since I got my XPA-5.
The best feature I've seen so far is the conversion of HDMI video to a 1080i Component Video output. Granted, you probably can't downconvert from 1080p, but this is still great news for Audiophiles with older TVs and Projectors that want to use HDMI for Audio without running a second cable for Video.
GUI? I don't think that qualifies as a GUI. More like TUI.